Watch-case center



(No Model.)

J. O. DUEBER.

WATCH CASE CENTER. No. 297,976. Patented May 6, 1884.

FIG-.1. v FIG-2.

FIG-.3.

N. PETERS. PholmLi hhhhhhhhhhhh Ingflm, D. Q

UNITED STATES ATENT Grains,

JOHN C. DUEBER, OF NEWPORT, KENTUCKY.

WATCH-CASE CENTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 297,976, dated May 6, 1884.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN O. DUEBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newport, in the county of Campbell and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Watch Case Centers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention comprises a novel construction of those watch-case centers which are made of rolled-gold plate, the object of the improvement being to produce such centers in a neater and more uniform manner and at less cost of manufacture than is possible with any of the ordinary appliances employed at the present time. This result is accomplished by making the center of three separate parts to wit, a ring or annulus, and two other members, termed the front and back halves, said ring being provided with a female thread for the engagement of male threads out on the inner ends of said front and back halves. Gonsequently, when these halves are screwed into the ring. the case is practically as firm and durable as though itwere made of a single piece of metal; but to prevent any intentional separation of these three component members of the center, I solder them together at the place where the pendant-bearing is secured, as hereinafter more fully described. In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is an axial section of the blank employed for producing the front and back halves of the center. Fig. 2 is a similar section of the three different members of the center in one stage of manufacture. Fig. 3 is another axial section, but showing the front and back halves screwed into the ring. Figs. 4 and 5 are transverse sections of the complete center or case. Figs. 6 and 7 are enlarged sections of two different modifications of my invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, A represents a blank, which is first cut out of the rolled-gold plate, and is then brought to the desired shape by being preferably struck up in an ordinary forming or shaping press. This plate is made in the usual manner by rolling one or more sheets of gold onto a sheet of baser metal, al-

though the blank A may be composed of pure gold or other metal, if desired. Furthermore,

said blank is of such a diameter and thickness as to produce either the front half, B, or the back half, 0, (seen in Fig. 2,) said members B 0 being provided with customary annular flanges, shoulders, and snaps, and also with cylindrical necks b c, which latter are formed by turning down the blank.

"' D represents a ring or annulus that constitutes the inner orintermediate member of the center, said ring being somewhat thicker than the halves B O, and being preferably knurled, chased, or otherwise ornamented on its outer periphery, as at d. This ring may be spun up, but the better plan would be to make it with a die and shaping press, so as to insure the utmost uniformity of manufacture. After these component members B G D have been brought to the desired shape, male threads are cut on the necks b 0 of the halves B O, and a female thread is chased on the inner periphery of ring D. Said halves B G are then screwed into the ring D, as seen in Fig. 3, which operation completes the construction of the case and leaves it ready for the application of the pendant, the fitting of the hinges, &c. As a watch-case center is seldom, if ever, subjected to a twisting action, there is no danger of either of the members B or 0 being screwed out of the ring D; but to prevent said halves being intentionally disengaged, they are joined together by soldering to their inner peripheries a plate, E, perforated at e, to admit the shank or stem of the pendant, said plate being technically called the pendantbearing. (See Fig. 4.)

The hinge-bearing F of the case is seen in Fig. 5.

As all the various parts of the center can be made with suitable dies and shaping-presses, it is evident said parts will not require skillful workmen to produce them, but can be manufactured by boys in the most rapid and uniform manner. Furthermore, as the junctions of the halves B O with the ring D occur circumferentially around said ring, they will not be perceptible.

As the leading feature of my invention consists in making a watch-case center of three component members, then screwing them together, and finally uniting them by soldering thereto the pendant-bearing, 1 do not propose to limit the claim to any special detail of construction, provided this novel feature is retained. One modification is seen in Fig. 6, where the back half O, is screwed into the ring D, and the front half, 13, is engaged with a female thread out within the rim of said member 0; but in Fig. 7 the ring Dis wholly internal, and the halves B G are provided with female threads that engage with a male thread cut on the outer periphery of said ring, the junction or parting of said halves being concealed by the subsequent burnishing or finishing operations. Finally, the exact proportions of the case have not been shown in the drawings, the screw-joints having been inten- I 5 tionally enlarged, to render them perfectly clear.

I claim as my invention A watch-ease center consisting of a ring having a pair of halves screwed thereto and secured together by the pendant-bearing, substantially as herein described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN C. DUEBER.

Witnesses:

J urns H. LAYMAN, S. S. CARPENTER. 

